Sex offenders are required to register at an office near the proposed site for an Albuquerque Public Schools magnet school.APS is looking at purchasing property at Central and Broadway streets.Condos and restaurants are around the proposed school site, but tucked away about a block and a half down is the probation and parole office.Pastor Michael Cook said proximity has never been a problem."(It's) never an issue here, absolutely not," Cook said.APS is looking at Cook's church as the new site for a performing arts magnet school, but around the corner is the state's probation and parole office where sex offenders go to register.Cook said he has several children in his congregation and safety isn't a concern."We've never had a problem with them. I knew they were there because they park in our parking lot. We have a parking lot over there," Cook said.That parking lot is across the street from the church.Action 7 News measured the actual driving distance between the proposed school site and the Department of Corrections. The parole office was about a two-minute drive and measured out to be two-tenths of a mile away.APS Chief Operating Officer Brad Winter said once they were made aware of the state facility's proximity, they began investigating."We'll look at the security issues," Winter said. "We'll look to see if there's anything extra that we need to do for security."Winter said some options could be stepping up security and maybe adding more school resource officers, especially for those students who may take the bus to and from school.Winter said APS has a 40-day period to look at the property to see what problems they need to address and will hand a report back to the school board.Tia Bland said there have never been any problems with sex offenders wandering to the church site. She said as a general rule sex offenders who register at the site are told specifically to stay off school property.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —

Sex offenders are required to register at an office near the proposed site for an Albuquerque Public Schools magnet school.

APS is looking at purchasing property at Central and Broadway streets.

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Condos and restaurants are around the proposed school site, but tucked away about a block and a half down is the probation and parole office.

Pastor Michael Cook said proximity has never been a problem.

"(It's) never an issue here, absolutely not," Cook said.

APS is looking at Cook's church as the new site for a performing arts magnet school, but around the corner is the state's probation and parole office where sex offenders go to register.

Cook said he has several children in his congregation and safety isn't a concern.

"We've never had a problem with them. I knew they were there because they park in our parking lot. We have a parking lot over there," Cook said.

That parking lot is across the street from the church.

Action 7 News measured the actual driving distance between the proposed school site and the Department of Corrections. The parole office was about a two-minute drive and measured out to be two-tenths of a mile away.

APS Chief Operating Officer Brad Winter said once they were made aware of the state facility's proximity, they began investigating.

"We'll look at the security issues," Winter said. "We'll look to see if there's anything extra that we need to do for security."

Winter said some options could be stepping up security and maybe adding more school resource officers, especially for those students who may take the bus to and from school.

Winter said APS has a 40-day period to look at the property to see what problems they need to address and will hand a report back to the school board.

Tia Bland said there have never been any problems with sex offenders wandering to the church site. She said as a general rule sex offenders who register at the site are told specifically to stay off school property.